The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) on December 11, 2025, issued the notification regarding the Standards Operating Procedure (SOP) for "Miscellaneous" category for left-out sectors under Red and Orange category in online portal.
The following has been stated namely: -
• Directions were issued to harmonize classification of industrial sectors into Red, Orange, Green, White, and Blue categories.
• A Committee chaired by the Member Secretary was constituted to decide the categorization of sectors not covered in the CPCB list.
• The Committee decided to introduce a “Miscellaneous” category under Red/Orange to cover left-out industrial sectors not classified by CPCB or the Board.
• This category allows such industries to obtain consent temporarily until a specific classification is finalized.
• While processing applications under Miscellaneous, authorities must ensure that the activity is not already covered under any existing CPCB or Board sector classification.
• The Pollution Index (PI) must be calculated as per CPCB methodology and the activity should be placed either in Red or Orange category accordingly.
• Details like manufacturing process, raw materials, products, and emission/effluent characteristics must be sent to HQ-2 along with PI calculation for Committee examination.
• Certificates issued under Miscellaneous must include a clause requiring the project proponent to obtain revised permission and pay differential fees once official categorization is finalized.
• Permissions under Miscellaneous category are valid only for 1 year, cannot be used for major/high-impact industries, and Regional Offices must maintain a record of all such cases and update OCMMS once proper categorization is issued.
[Notification No. 40402-20]
